Your Daily Guide

How Philly Can Fix Its Sidewalks

We talk a lot about how beat-up our Philly streets are, and the sidewalks aren’t doing much better. Broken curbs, sunken sidewalks, and raised tree roots should be easy to address, but can often be a costly burden to homeowners responsible for fixing them. Cities across the U.S. may have some solutions Philly should steal. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

Most Immigrants Arrested in PA Don’t Have a Criminal Record

The number of immigrants arrested who have criminal charges or a criminal conviction has gone down, despite rhetoric from the Trump administration. In January 2026, nearly 60% of those detained in the state had no criminal record. [🔒 The Inquirer]

Recording Exposes Shapiro Boosting a Party Rival

A recording of U.S. House candidate Bob Brooks is making the rounds on social media after he said that Gov. Josh Shapiro requested that Brooks’ union support Republican Stacy Garrity over Democrat Erin McClelland in the 2024 PA treasurer race. While Brooks now claims he misspoke, McClelland said, “What goes around comes around,” and that the issue is not going away. [Axios, Stephen Caruso via X]

• Related: Shapiro and Garrity are now facing off in the race for governor. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

Shapiro Demands Utility Companies Change ‘Broken’ System

Shapiro says he will oppose requests for rate hikes, demanding that companies take other considerations into account when raising costs, including how infrastructure investments are financed. However, any of his solutions would require support from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and legislative reforms to hold any weight. [Spotlight PA]

• Related: Need help covering utility costs? Friday is the last day to apply for LIHEAP. [Metro Philadelphia]

We may be thinking about tacos today, but others are craving pasta instead. Yesterday, I asked for any recommendations for the best places to eat pasta in Philly. Since Borromini took its 100-layer lasagna off the menu for outshining its other offerings, I need some other pasta dishes to try. Here's what readers recommend:

🍝 Laura I. said: “The best pasta dish in Philly is the penne à la famiglia at La Famiglia on Front St. They have been in business with the same family owners for 30+ years. It's a simple dish always perfectly executed with onions, prosciutto, and parmigiana, and is the ultimate comfort food.”

🍝 Kerry A. said: “Hands down ... Emilia! The newish Vernick-owned restaurant, headed up by pasta chef Meredith Medoway, formerly with [chef Greg Vernick] at Vernick Fish.”

Thanks for putting me on!

Philadelphia is responsible for maintaining over 2,000 miles of Philly streets and highways, helping get commuters to their next destination by foot or vehicle. While many of these roadways are bordered by sidewalks, some streets lack them entirely, leaving pedestrians stranded or at risk of injury or death.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Pedestrian Portal tracks walkability in the Philadelphia area. Residents can plan trips by using its tools, such as a map of the region’s sidewalks. The commission estimates 230 miles of Philly streets have no sidewalks.

The map uses a key to identify gaps in sidewalk coverage. Red indicates streets missing sidewalks on either side. Yellow indicates streets that are missing sidewalks on one side. Green indicates streets that have sidewalks on both sides.

Compared to surrounding counties, Philadelphia is fairly covered with sidewalks (their conditions, however, are another conversation). Most of Philly’s streets have sidewalks on both sides.

Neighborhoods at the edges of the city appear to have fewer sidewalks, such as in Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast Philly. Streets lacking sidewalks are either located in industrial areas, adjacent to parkland, have expanded yard space, once had sidewalks that deteriorated over time, or were never designed with sidewalks in mind.

For example, at the intersection of Bryn Mawr Avenue and Parkside Avenue North, one side of Parkside has sidewalks while the other side, connected to Fairmount Park, remains grassy. On Bryn Mawr Avenue both sides of the street have sidewalks until one side becomes grass-covered past the bridge.

With facility improvements over the years, some infrastructure changes may not yet be reflected on the map. You can create an account to help keep the sidewalk inventory up to date.

🎧 Listen to this episode of City Cast Philly to learn how Philly can improve its sidewalks.